DRINKS // Limoncello
When life gives you lemons Limoncello is slowly making more appearances behind the bar. WORDS Aristine Dobson
LIMONCELLO IS AN Italian digestif believed
the influx of Italian immigrants bringing Italian
Azzurra, located off the coast of Capri. However,
Hammersla. “I know an Italian grandpa in every
to have been invented over 100 years ago in
surrounding islands have also staked claim to its inception. Regardless of its disputable origins,
culture with them in the ’50s and ’60s,” says major city who makes it in his backyard.”
While limoncello is widely celebrated in its
limoncello is the ideal liqueur to commence a
country of origin, the drink has been largely
a shot glass.
“Limoncello has never really taken off like the rest
meal in a cocktail application or end one in
Although it is simple to make and easy to
drink, the tangy elixir has yet to really boom
within Australia’s hospitality scene. But in the
right setting, limoncello has serious potential to become a go-to item behind the bar.
Hospitality talks to Henry Hammersla of Unico
Zelo and Kwame Sinclair from QT Sydney’s Gowings Bar & Grill about the makings of
limoncello, cocktail options and why they think it’s set to boom in the bar world.
Henry Hammersla oversees the production of Unico Zelo’s limoncello product Unico Cello,
which is made in South Australia. The former
bartender says limoncello has significant heritage
in Australia, with the drink moving from a housemade product to a more formal setting. “We
have a wonderful history of backyard or hooch limoncello all throughout Australia because of 20 | Hospitality
overlooked within the local bar industry.
of the drinks the Italians have produced, and I
think it’s a lack of experience holding it back,” says Kwame Sinclair, bartender at Gowings Bar & Grill in QT Sydney. “There’s a lot of people who have
never tried limoncello and don’t know much about it. They probably don’t know they would really enjoy it.”
Traditionally, limoncello is consumed chilled
and straight up. It is a slow sipper designed to
be drunk at a leisurely pace due to its typically
high alcohol content. Unlike the original version, Unico Cello has a much lower ABV. “We’re sitting at 20 per cent, whereas most Amalfi Coast or
Calabrian limoncellos sit around 25 plus, some even go up to 35,” says Hammersla. “But it
means we get really good mouthfeel. Ours is creamy because we add a lot of sugar.”
While the product bears similarities to
“There’s not a lot of commercial push behind it, whereas I feel there should be more.” – Kwame Sinclair
